Spira Unplugged
by AnimeFreakSquee
Summary: All alone in cold fields you wander; memories of it cloud your sight. It fills your dreams and disturbs your slumber. Now you've lost your way as a fallen knight. Go now, if you want it, an otherworld awaits you... please R
1. Chapter 1

**Well, for some reason, I have been inspired to post a **_**Final Fantasy X **_**fic. I wanted to before but eventually dropped it, but now I think I have a story I want to stick with. ****Basically, this is the story of the game with my own twists and changes to the plot. I'm sorry if that summary was too vague, but I don't want to give away too much in an author's note. **

**Anyway, enough of my babbling; please enjoy the prologue… **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Final Fantasy **_**trilogy nor do I own any of the quotes that appear before each chapter.**

**CLAIMER: I do own any and all OCs and plot twists that appear in this story. **

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism… **

**Prologue-Unnerving**

"_Give them nothing…_

_Take from them everything._"

Ieonidas the First

A plain of azure blue smeared with ivory forests hung in the horizon. An endless sea of water flooded the world the below. A cool breeze blew in the distance as the nearby flock of seagulls took flight, determined to find their morning meal.

The water was calm and cool. Not a hint of movement could be detected beneath its surface. All was as it was supposed to be, that was until a small dark brown spike erupted from the oceans' dark dephs.

A single spike was all that it took to frighten any nearby seagulls. It hovered in midair for a moment before returning to the murky dephs.

Once more, the water's surface calmed itself, and all was as it should be…

**Not the most exciting prologue ever to be written. But please review and tell me your views and I should have chapter one up soon. Until next time… **


	2. Chapter 2

**And here is the first chapter. It will probably be a little boring, but the story should kick up soon. Anyway, time to move on…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Final Fantasy **_**trilogy nor do I own any of the quotes that appear before each chapter.**

**CLAIMER: I do own any and all OCs and plot twists that appear in this story. **

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism… **

**Chapter 1: Star Player **

"_Just because everything's different,_

_doesn't mean anything's changed._"

-Irene Porter

A shrill scream penetrated the sweet silence for what seemed like the fifth time. Sitting on a dark brown, wooden nightstand was a blue and white alarm clock. It continued to scream, alerting whoever was within the confines of the small bedroom that it had reached a specific time.

There was a pregnant pause; nothing but the sound of the screeching clock. But then the sound of a frustrated grunt echoed from the left side of the room. In the next second, a tanned hand shot out from a thick comforter and came to a stop above the object in question.

"Ugh, shut-up." A male voice groaned from the bed, as if uttering the word would silence it. It did not.

As punishment for the clock's impudence, the young man's fist came down on it, hitting the 'snooze' button hard. Another groan could be heard as the creature attempted to get comfortable.

Obviously, he was not very successful. After tossing and turning for at least five minutes, the being decided that there was no use in fighting. The alarm had won. Giving another sigh, a spikey-haired blonde sat up on his head, allowing the blanket to fall around him. The seventeen-year-old boy gave a deep yawn as he slid out of bed and onto his carpeted floor, stretching his arms above his head while doing so.

Tidus caught the switch tat hung from his ceiling fan and switched the overhead lights on. He was blinded momentarily, but soon regained his sight.

The room was a decent size. Not too big but not too small; just the way he liked it. There was a bed covered in white sheets and a khaki blanket; it was pressed against the wall. Beside it stood her dark wooden nightstand.

A desk was pressed against the wall across the room. Tidus's television sat on top of his dresser; he kept some accessories in it while the rest of his clothes hung in the nearby closet.

The blonde haired teen left the sanctity of his bedroom and crossed the dimly lit hallway, his travels bringing him to the bathroom. The door closed behind him as he entered and flipped the light on. Tidus wasted no time slipping his boxers off and hopping into the shower. He turned the knob and allowed the steaming hot water to erase the haze of sleep from his mind. _Gotta big night tonight! _The adrenaline was already pouring into his veins. He quickly washed his hair and body before turning the faucet off and hopping out of the shower.

The seventeen-year-old snatched a fluffy white towel off of the wrack and tied it around his waist as he returned to his bedroom, not even bothering to close the door behind him as he entered the room. Why should he worry about privacy when he was the sole owner of this house?

He switched the television on; a news broadcast was flickering across the screen. It wasn't hard to guess what it was about. While the anchorman began his report, Tidus threw the closet door open and began digging around for his uniform.

"_Anyway…ten years later, the Jecht Memorial Cup tournament is today!_" Tidus rolled his eyes. _Jecht Memorial my ass. _The anchorman continued the nightly announcement. "_The two teams that have won through to the finals are, of course, the Abes from A-East, and the Duggles from C-South._

"_I know there's a lot of people out there today to see the star of the Abes!_" For some reason, his comment brought a smile to the teenager's face; he was busy getting ready for the big game.

"_In just one year, he's become the team's number one player!_ _He's Jecht's blood_," Tidus chose to ignore that particular comment and instead absorb the endless praise, "_and the new hope of blitzball! What kind of super play will he show us today?_

"_Will we see his father's legendary shot?_" Nope. As if Tidus was about to humiliate himself in front of an entire crowd. _"I don't think I'm the only one excited here, folks!_"

The camera crews' focus was switched to the weatherman after that. Tidus tuned it out, not really caring about the forecast, and headed back to the bathroom. The teen snatched a brush and blow-dryer from the counter began fixing his hair. His pearly whites became the next center of attention after his hair regained its spikey form.

Once he was dressed, Tidus gave himself a once over. Aqua-blue eyes carefully scanned his appearance, making sure that everything was in order. His skin bore a deep tan, a testament to how much time he spent in the sun. He would have been shirtless if not for the small bright yellow jacket with a white hood. Bright blue and red leather mixed with the dark brown and black glove and gauntlet on his left arm. The other was bare, save for the black glove on his hand.

Tidus wore a pair of leather black overalls and cut off shorts. The right leg remained firmly in place, with his crimson family crest sewn onto the front. The left leg was removed so that his shorter, dark blue swim trunks could be seen. Last of all, he wore a pair of black wool socks and a pair of low-cut yellow and dark brown boots.

Satisfied with his appearance, Tidus left the bathroom and headed to the living room; he paused only to switch his bedroom light off.

There was a couch sitting in front of the television with a coffee table placed in front of it. A lamp stood beside couch for when night fell. A few decorations added a little flare to the room. It was small but cozy. Tidus flipped the lamplight off and climbed the steps leading to his front door. He threw the door open and stepped out into the cool night air.

The sky was black with the night. The city lights were at their brightest and the air was a little cool, but not too cold for a midnight swim. Perfect for a game of blitzball.

Tidus took a deep breath before making his way across the deck. Unlike most of the people he knew, Tidus made his home inside of a boat. It was his parent's decision rather than his, and he never saw a need to buy another house, so his home remained on the place he loved most: the water. The blonde began making his way across the wooden deck and onto the bridge connecting his boat to the dock.

A large crowd of people were waiting for him. A warm smile stole across his face and he began waving at them. Their voices escalated in volume as they cheered, ecstatic to see the Abe's star player up and ready for action.

"Tidus over here!" a female voice called from the mass of human bodies.

Various comments rose from the cheering crowd as Tidus made his way towards a pair of teenage girls, both of whom were holding two white balls that were streaked with blue. Indentions were made on the spherical objects. Obviously, they were blitzballs.

"Hey there little ladies," the blonde teen flashed his best smile, "and what can I do for you tonight?"

One of the girls blushed as she replied to him, "Can I have your autograph?" She held the ball and a pen out to him.

Tidus took the pen and leaned forward, scribbling his signature on the rounded object as he spoke, "Coming right up!"

"Me, too!" the other girl squealed in delight.

"Of course." He signed the ball then handed the pen to the girl with the pink shirt, the first one to catch his attention.

"Tidus! Tidus!" a high-pitched voice cried from behind. A pair of hands gripped the older male's arm and began jerking him around; causing Tidus look at an excited little boy. "Can we have your autograph, too?"

The seventeen-year-old chuckled at the kid's enthusiasm while pulling his arm free, "Why not?" He paused and looked at the girl in the pink shirt. She giggled as she handed him her pen. Turning back to the boy, he quickly signed the child's blitzball.

"Me too!" another of pair of small children shouted in unison.

"Okay, okay." This, of course, was the normal routine for Tidus. Especially when a game as important as the Jecht Cup was on the line. The name made him want to gag, but he could not deny its significance. He quickly signed the boys' blitzballs.

Soon, even more people started asking for his autograph, which Tidus gladly gave. They could be irritating at times, but Tidus still enjoyed all of the attention he received from his fans. How could he not? Especially when all of the hype surrounding status as the Abe's star player was rightfully deserved. It took him only a year to earn his place and he was going to enjoy every minute of it.

A man of at least twenty-one wandered up to Tidus's side and threw one arm on the boy's shoulder, "Hey there Tidus," he gave him a quick punch on the shoulder, "how 'ya been?"

"Great!" he returned the warm smile, "How 'bout you?"

"Fine, fine," there was a short pause, "so you excited about the big game tonight?"

"Naturally."

"Getting kinda nervous?"

Tidus put on a show of courage, "No way!" No way indeed. The blonde refused to show his anxiety to the crowd. It was bad for the image, and it would only make him even more nervousness to see his closest fans nervous as well.

"Heh, that's the spirit!" He gave Tidus a quick pat on the shoulder, "with you on our team, there's no way the Abes'll lose."

"Yeah!" A man cried in the background, "Let's give it up for the Zanarkand Abes!"

With that, Tidus held up his hands and started giving people high fives, cheering the name of the Abes along with them. He came to a stop in front of a small boy, who may have been no older than ten to eleven years. His skin was deeply tanned and he wore a dark purple, tattered shirt with a hood that hid his face from view. A pair of capries hung around his legs, and his footwear consisted of a pair of sandals.

The boy provided him with a small smile, "I wish you luck on tonight's game," he held up his hand so that Tidus could finish his rain of high fives. "Keep in mind that this is really important."

"Yeah." _I've never seen him before. _He turned away from the child and moved on to the rest of the crowd.

It was not long until he caught the two girls ago, both of them fluttering their eyelashes at him. Tidus strode towards them, a cool expression on his face. The blonde put on his best smile as he struck up a conversation with them. "So, what're you ladies doing tonight?"

"Oh, nothing important," the second girl giggled, her eyes were glued to his toned chest, "why'd you ask?"

"Well I was…" But he never finished his sentence.

"Tidus!"

The blonde's head jerked in the direction of the familiar voice. The teen in question watched as the crowd slowly split apart to reveal an irritable young woman, who seemed to be around the same age as him.

Her dark red hair was pulled back in a ponytail. Unlike Tidus, her skin was rather light. She was wearing a black and yellow diving suit with some dark blue leather armor for extra protection. A pair of goggles hung around her neck.

The seventeen-year-old female stomped up to him and grabbed his arm, "C'mon, 'ya attention starved…"

"Hey, calm down Keiss," the blonde male chuckled as he pulled his arm away from her, "what's the big rush?"

"What's the rush?" She repeated, her eyes narrowing a little, "the game's going to start in a few minutes, that's the rush!"

Surprise replaced the carefree smile that was ruled Tidus's face. "What!?" _Shit! I lost track of time! _He quickly turned to the group of people; it would've been rude to leave without saying goodbye.

"Uh sorry guys, but I really need to go," Tidus was slowly inching away with Keiss, "like now. So I'll see you after the game!"

"Wait!"

There was an annoyed sigh from Keiss as Tidus turned to look at the three boys. All three of them ran up to him, each holding his own blitzball. "Two…three…!" one of the boys counted, "Teach. Us. How. To. Blitz!" The trio shouted simultaneously. They must have practiced that.

Unfortunately, it was Tidus's job to dash their hopes of learning to play blitzball in only nine minutes. "Uh, oh…sorry, but I kinda don't have enough time," he quickly added, "I'll be late for the game."

"Then teach us after!" one of the kids said.

"He can't."

Tidus and Keiss looked to see the boy in purple, the one from before. The half-smile returned to his face after a moment of silence. "He won't have time tonight."

The blonde stared at the boy in confusion. _Who the heck is he…? _"Uh…then, tomorrow?" For some reason, Tidus did not sound as sure as he should have. What the boy in purple said threw him off.

"Okay." One of the children agreed to his offer, which was a relief.

"Come on Tidus." The redheaded female urged.

He nodded in her direction, "Right." And took off running with her at his side. The both of them left the docks and headed straight towards the streets of Zanarkand, the metropolis that never sleeps.

Both Tidus and his female counter-part were sprinting as fast as they could down the road. They only had a few minutes before the game would start, so they needed to hurry. The teenagers gasped for air as they ran down the concrete sidewalks.

An irritated look crossed Keiss's face as they headed towards the stadium, "We wouldn't be so pressed for time if you didn't spend all your time flirting, 'ya know."

"Sorry," his expression betrayed his apology, "Couldn't be helped!"

She rolled her eyes at him, and then skidded to a stop, gasping for air. The run from the stadium took quite a bit out of her; going back at this rate would be a challenge. Tidus slowed to a stop so that she could catch her breath.

His aqua colored eyes started to wander along the tall buildings that made Zanarkand the great city that he knew. He caught sight of a blinking billboard with a scruffy long-haired man on the front.

"Tidus, come on!"

He paused only to glare at the image before complying. _Hmph. _Both he and Keiss found themselves running along the road once again, both of them silent as they did.

Pedestrians waved to them as they ran by. Tidus offered them a quick wave and a smile as he ran by, while Keiss remained concentrated on the task at hand. It was not long before the stadium came into view.

It was placed on a small island that was only reachable by a man-made bridge; of course, the entire city was constructed by humans, right in the middle of the ocean. The stadium a giant dome with the moon shining high above it in the background. Stars shimmered in the distance like diamonds sewn into a large blanket dyed black. A perfect setting for tonight's game. Tidus and his female cohort quickly began making their way towards the stadium.

Unfortunately, the crowd massing at the entrance would be a challenge on its own. As soon as they saw Tidus, they ran for the two blitzers, intent on not letting them enter the stadium. Which was strange considering they hoped the two would win the game for them. How could they live up to the fan's expectations if they wouldn't even let them in the stadium?

This is when ones' own fan base became a nuisance. "Get out of my way!" Tidus shouted over the screaming people.

"Move it!" He could hear Keiss calling from somewhere in the crowd. "Ow, who stepped on my foot?"

"Hey, I'm gonna be late!"

"Lemme through!"

Someone caught Tidus's arm as he was nearing the large double doors. He tore his arm away from the girl, a look of agitation on his face, "Let go of me!" With a clean break towards the doors, he quickly took his chance, relieved to see that Keiss survived the onslaught as well when she climbed out of the horde of fans and followed after him.

Two security guards opened the doors for the blitzers and allowed them inside, and then shut the doors before they could be swarmed again.

Sighing in relief, Tidus popped his neck in a few places and then followed after Keiss, who was not wasting any time reuniting with their team. Like the outside, the lobby was a sight to behold in its own right. The floor was crafted from sleek white marble. Beautiful statues and tall pillars added to sheer beauty that was the stadium. The front desk was made of mahogany, and that was where fans would receive their tickets. It was obvious that the stadium had already sold out.

Trophy cases could be seen. Tidus admired the many trophies they passed on their way to the meeting place. A security guard was standing near the doors both Tidus and Keiss were heading towards.

Upon seeing them, he realized who they were and quickly gave them clearance to enter. He opened the doors and the two teens ran inside of a small white room.

It was empty save for two metal doors and a black rack. On the rack were numerous pairs of goggles and small oxygen masks that would cover their faces from the nose down. Even though the Abes' coach trained them in holding their breath for a long amount of time, it was required of all blitz ball players to wear an oxygen mask. No-one wanted to be responsible for a death that could have been controlled.

"Ready?" Keiss seemed to calm down now that they were at the stadium. She slipped a mask on and covered her eyes with the goggles.

"Yeah," he did the same, his voice now muffled. His eyes were no longer sensitive to the water, so Tidus did not need a pair of goggles. "You?"

The redhead moved towards the door to the right, "Uh-huh."

The door slid open with the slightest touch. Both teens stepped inside of what seemed like a darkened corridor. Water sloshed around their feet as they headed towards the nearest source of light.

As they drew nearer, the screams of anxious fans grew louder. Now the fans would be cheering for not only the Abes but for the Duggles as well. It was a mixed group, but even if there were a few fanatics out there, Tidus would be safe from the swarm for a while.

He and Keiss came to the front of the circle shapped stands, which was the closest to the 'field'. The so could field was made up of several metal rings, which would fall away when the time was right.

The Abes were all lounging on the benches, waiting for the game to start. They looked up when they heard Tidus and Keiss wadding their water.

One of them fixed the two with a glare, "Took you long enough."

"What can I say?" Tidus shrugged his shoulders and smiled at the young man, "I'm fashionably late, as usual."

"Yeah," the eighteen-year-old replied back, "well don't get too cocky."

Tidus plopped down on the benches alongside Keiss and rested his head. He began to clear his mind of everything, so that he would have a clear head during the game. Sounds began to die down. His internal clock continued to tick away; the game would start in just a minute.

Now, all he could hear was the sound of the screaming fans. The thrum of his own heartbeat. Water dripped from his blonde locks as he waited for the game to start.

For some reason, Tidus felt the urge to open his eyes. The air felt a little strange, different from usual. He left it up to nerves.

As soon as his eyes opened, one of his teammates threw him the ball, and the machinery controlling the field buzzed to life. The screams of the crowd grew stronger and louder when it became obvious that the show they had been waiting for was about to begin. Tidus's heartbeat sped up as he stepped up to the diving board, all of his teammate's right behind him. Pure white electricity that was tinted blue began to dance to life in the center of the field. The blonde watched as the light grew brighter and brighter, before it finally exploded before his very eyes, sending a shockwave that nearly knocked him off of his feet.

The rings dropped downward so that they were replaced with a giant bubble of water that hung in midair. This performance earned a scream of excitement from the crowd, which was more riled up then ever before. His heart was beating like crazy as the lights for the goals and the markings flashed on.

It was time. Tidus received a reassuring pat from Keiss, who was standing right behind him, "You can do it." She whispered into his ear.

_Maybe I'll show them after all. _Tidus thought to himself; he was contemplating as to whether he would perform the shot or not. He nodded back at her before turning to face the field. Activating the knob on the mask, Tidus took a dive, and plunged into the cool water of the sphere pool.

It felt so good to be inside of the crystal clear liquid. Tidus took a deep breath as he swam towards the center of the pool, the Abes all following after him after diving off of the board. The Duggles, all of whom were dressed in black, dark brown, and a dark red, were waiting for them in the center of the pool. Tidus set the ball between himself and the leader of the Duggles. The two exchanged a handshake as an act of sportsmanship before taking their places across from one another.

The timer cried out three seconds later. Both the leader of the Duggles and Tidus shot forward at that moment and reached out for the ball. The blonde was faster; he managed to grab the blitzball and keep it away from the opposing team.

The blitzers clad in black and red rushed at Tidus. He quickly passed it to the waiting arms of Jason, who then passed it to Keiss.

She began swimming away in a fashion that resembled a dolphin, all of the Duggles on her tale. Jason and Garret quickly flanked her sides so that she would have someone to pass to if the need should arise. Tidus could see Jules floating several meters away. He quickly swam after Keiss, Jason, and Garret.

A dark haired Duggle swam at Keiss from beneath, and kicked the ball out of her hands. Tidus took his chance and rammed into the boy in red, sending him flying right out of the sphere pool and into the stands! Tidus crossed his arms over his chest and nodded his head, holding a cool pose for the sake of the audience after his move, and then swam after the ball. Unfortunately, a female on the Duggles caught the ball while spinning in the middle of the water, and took off towards the Abe's goal.

Jules flanked by Garret and Jason caught up to the girl while Keiss rushed at her, soon followed by Tidus. She expertly evaded the both and continued towards the goal, only to be impeded by a Garret.

He delivered a swift kick at her side, scaring her into letting of the ball, and then snatched it away and headed towards the Duggles goal.

The rest of her team finally managed to catch up to the Abes. They went after Garrett while his team members went out of their way to watch his back. Just then, three Duggles caught Garret, forcing him to pass. Jules swam overhead and held his arms out, ready to take the ball from Garret. Two of the Duggles caught the ball just as Garret threw it, but then Tidus swam between them and kicked the ball so hard that it flew right out of the sphere pool!

Tidus sped after the ball then propelled himself out of the water. Gravity fought against his body, but he managed to stay in midair as he did a quick flip, his eyes set on the ball. He was about to kick the life from that poor ball until he noticed something in the distance.

_What the…? _He never managed to finish his thought. Far off in the distance, Tidus noticed a horde of fireballs were flying right towards him! A few of them laid waste to the buildings around him.

The teenager could have sworn that his heart skipped a beat as all four of the remaining spheres of flame flew straight passed him and onto the stadium around him. Cheers of excitement immediately melted into screams of utter horror as the flames crashed into the stadium walls and the stands. Tidus lost his balance, and gravity took its toll on him; he began falling towards the field, which was begun to fall in on itself due to the damage it was receiving.

"Whoa-oh!" he caught the ledge of a nearby pillar and held on for dear life, trying to pull himself up all the while. Sadly Tidus lost his grip, and everything went to black as he plummeted into the darkness…


	3. Chapter 3

**And here is the next chapter. It might be a little while before my main OC appears, but she will make her big debut eventually. **

**Also, I am trying to decide which pairing to have her in. It will either be with Tidus or Auron; if any readers would be so kind as to help me decide and vote on it; that would be appreciated. Anyway, on with the show…**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the **_**Final Fantasy **_**trilogy nor do I own any of the quotes that appear before each chapter.**

**CLAIMER: I do own any and all OCs and plot twists that appear in this story. **

**Please enjoy, no flames, but I will accept constructive criticism… **

**Chapter 2: You're Story **

"_By nature man hates change;_

_Seldom will he quite his old home_

_Till it has actually fallen around his ears._"

-Thomas Carlyle

A shrill scream echoed from the darkness. A dull ache vibrated throughout his body. Frantic footfalls could be heard all around him. _What the…? _His consciousness slowly regained power of his physical form, and slowly, Tidus opened his aqua colored irises.

It did not take the boy long to realize that he was lying on a hard, flat surface. His blurred vision made it difficult to see; all he could make out were the frantic forms of random people, scurrying around like frightened animals. Cries of both anguish and fear echoed all around him. The sound of an explosion forced Tidus to try and regain his sight. He shook his head and blinked a few times before the world become clearer to him.

Tidus found that he was lying on the hard concrete sidewalk. Large pieces of rubble surrounded him, and people were running as though their very lives depended on it. Looking up, he found that the sky was still black with night, and that smoke rose from the buildings of Zanarkand.

He turned to look back at the building behind him, and found that it was the ruins of the stadium. It was obvious to him now that they were being attacked, but by what? Continuing his survey, Tidus quickly found out that that shrill scream was the alarm; it had gone off to alert Zanarkand's denizens of the impending attack. Not that it wasn't obvious already.

The blonde rose to his feet, a look of confusion crossing his face. _How did I…? _His memory was a little fuzzy. Tidus shook his head as he tried to remember what had happened before he passed out. Memories of the game flashed in his head, and then he remembered the fall.

The blonde looked up to find that pillar still standing. He gaped at how far he'd fallen. Yet for some reason, his heart was still beating. _How did I survive that fall? _He had to be the luckiest man alive to have survived such a fall.

Turning around, the teenager stumbled around. "Whoa-ah!" The blonde cried as he tripped over himself. His equilibrium was still off, so walking was going to be a challenge until it sorted itself out.

He gripped a large piece of debris for support, and began searching for away out of the jungle of fallen rubble. How could this happen? Tidus thought to himself while he searched for a way out. Who could have done this? So many questions swirled around his brain, and yet no-one offered answers to him. At this rate, his brain would explode! Everything came to a halt when spotted something – more like _someone_ – amongst the rubble.

The blonde stared at the unmoving body for a moment, trying to decipher the face that stared back at him. It was not long until her name left his lips, "Keiss!" The seventeen-year-old recovered his balance and ran to her. He knelt beside her and started to shake her shoulder, a look of desperation on his face.

"Keiss!" Tidus called out to the unmoving female, "Come on wake-up!" But no matter how much he tried, she never responded to his pleas.

Instead, she stared up at him, her eyes lifeless. Guessing from her expression, Keiss never saw her death coming, as she looked a tad surprised. The look had fallen into a sense of lifeless, to illustrate that she had passed on. Giving her a once over, Tidus found that the lower half of her body was crushed under the debris.

His eyes narrowing in frustration, the blonde released her corpse and started to push at the rubble, wanting nothing more than to pull her away from the wreckage, to help her. No, he refused to leave her like this!

"It's useless, you know."

The voice snapped Tidus out of his thoughts, and he turned to find a very familiar person standing behind him. The blonde knelt there, starring at him before replying to him. "Auron…"

A man of at least thirty-five, though he appeared a tad older, was standing before Tidus, amongst the rubble. His style of dress was very odd when comparing it to the rest of Zanarkand's people. He bore short, messy black hair that was streaked with grey. Black tinted sunglasses kept his stern chocolate brown irises from being seen. His skin was a few shades lighter than Tidus', but still held a tan. The lower half of his face was guarded from sight by a dark grey collar. A long-sleeved coat the color of blood hung around his body, allowing his black chest armor to be seen just barley. A pair of black pants lined with white hung around his legs. He wore a pair of short-boots of the same color.

One arm was left bare of any equipment; he allowed that arm to rest inside the torso of his coat. The other arm was covered up by a black glove and dark grey gauntlet. On his back, he was carrying a one-handed black and red sword.

Auron wore a stoic expression as he gazed down at the fallen blitzer. "You won't be able to get her out."

"Auron," Tidus got to his feet, his eyes a mix of both anguish and confusion, "What's happening? What're you doing here?"

"I came to look for you." the older male replied in a deep voice.

The blonde turned away from his childhood mentor and returned to digging Keiss' body out of the rubble, "Hmph…well, thanks for the concern." He did not sound very grateful. All that mattered to him right now was helping his friend.

But Auron was persistent in reasoning with the boy, "You won't be able to get her out," he tried, "best to leave now rather than join her later."

"I'm not leaving without Keiss!" the blonde snapped back, a defiant expression on his face.

"Fine," Auron sighed and turned away from him, heading towards exit of the rubble, "but if you want to die with her, so that her sacrifice would be in vain, then you can go right ahead."

Tidus ignored him as the older male left. Instead, he continued his digging, determined to help Keiss in any way that he could. But as the blonde tried to block Auron's words from his mind, he soon found them haunting his thoughts. Tidus managed to move some fo the smaller pieces, but it soon became clear that he would never be able to move the larger pieces, at least not without help. She was trapped.

Tidus slammed his fist against the rubble, anger apparent on his features, "Dammit!"

Why did this have to happen to him? What the hell was going on!?

As he sat there seething, Auron's voice wandered back to the forefront of the boy's mind. There was merit to what the older man said. His eyes found Keiss' lifeless form. If he dies now, then Keiss's own demise would have been for nothing. The least he could do was survive for his friend. That is what Keiss would have wanted him to do, isn't it? But before he could leave, Tidus reached down and started unzipping the top of her swimsuit. He reached down and removed the object of his desire and slipped it into his pocket. Rising to his feet, the blonde teen ran after Auron, newly revived vigor running through his system.

Tidus left the large pile of debris behind, and was surprised to find Auron leaning against a light post outside.

"Auron!" the seventeen-year-old called out to his mentor as he joined his side. "What're you still doing here?"

Auron pushed himself off of the post and turned his back to the boy. He started walking towards the streets of Zanarkand. "I was waiting for you." It was amazing how calm this man could be during a crisis.

Instead of replying, Tidus followed after him, curious to see where he was going. Hopefully he would lead the boy of danger.

The pair began making their way down the road, with more of Zanarkand's citizens scurrying around them in a scared frenzy. Tidus was silent as he followed after the older male, moving from street to street, his eyes surveying the damage done to his home. Buildings were either torn down, burning, or bound share one of two fates. Spheres of flame were soaring through the sky and laying waste to all he held dear. People screamed and ran for cover as all of Zanarkand was brought to ruin.

As it continued, suddenly, a strange sensation jolted in his spine. Tidus gasped and stopped, looking around in confusion. Something was wrong. It did not take long for him to notice that that was because no-one was moving. Everything was still, as if time had stopped.

"W-what the hell?" The blonde blitzer spun in circles, trying to make sense of what he was seeing.

"So it begins."

He jumped and whipped around to face the speaker, finding none other than the boy with the purple hood. The one from before. Tidus' brow furrowed in confusion, "You…your that weird kid," his mind wrapped around the boy's words, "and what're you talking about?"

Instead of supplying him with a reasonable response, the child replied with a "Don't cry" and then vanished in thin air.

As soon as he was gone from sight, time resumed, and people continued their desperate flee for freedom. Tidus stared at the spot where the purple boy was once stood in confusion. What was that? The blonde looked around until he found a figure in red, and then quickly ran to his side.

Where was the idiot going? "Auron!" the blonde called out to his mentor. He came to a stop by the older male's side, quickly catching his free arm and tugging him in the right direction.

"Not this way!" he urged, "this is the wrong…"

But he was ignored. "Look." Auron gestured skywards. Tidus followed his hand until he found what the older male was pointing at.

Tidus jaw dropped as soon as he laid on eyes on it. Unbelievable! That was the only word to truly describe what he was seeing. For the Zanarkand's assailant was standing – or more like _hovering _– in midair, hidden within a giant bubble of water. Whatever it was, it humungous, and obviously anything _but_ human.

As if reading the boy's mind, Auron placed a name to the monstrosity before them. "We called it 'Sin'."

"Sin?" Tidus echoed. An odd name. He wondered where the creature got it. Auron started walking down the road, still going in the wrong direction.

The seventeen-year-old gave an exasperated sigh and took chase, "Hey, Auron wait!"

The pair continued down the road, one set on a destination that the other was completely unaware of. After a few minutes of running, Auron came to an abrupt stop, causing Tidus to nearly bump into him; but he managed to catch himself, skidding to a stop rather than slamming into the older man.

He turned a confused gaze on his mentor, "What's wrong?" Instead of replying to his young charge, Auron gestured towards the sky again.

Tidus followed his hand; at first he thought that the older man was pointing towards the giant bubble, but soon he realized that that wasn't the case. The seventeen-year-old squinted as he tried to spot whatever Auron was looking it. There was a large object soaring through the air!

The blonde cocked his head to then side; he wasn't sure what to make of it. "What is it?" They watched as the object flew straight for the bridge they were standing on.

It soared over them and eventually hit the ground a several yards away. "A fiend." With that, the dark-haired man took off in its direction.

_That was a fiend? _Tidus took off after Auron, his brow furrowed in concentration. _Man that thing was huge! _As he was running, he noticed that something else was now airborne. Auron seemed to catch on as well; he was looking upwards. In the air, Tidus could see what looked like large oval-shapped balls falling towards them. The boy covered his head as the objects rained around their bodies, eventually ceasing long enough for him to see what they were. The small objects that had fallen all around them were spiked and oval shapped, and they were all giving off a blue light.

"What the heck?" Tidus arched an eyebrow; what on earth could they have been?

Almost as soon as the words came out, the small oval-shapped forms started to twitch. Soon enough they unfolded into medium sized bug-like creatures. Tidus' eyes narrowed in irritation; so they were fiends as well, huh?

A low growl escaped his throat, "Get outta my town!" The order wouldn't be enough to be rid of them.

Snarls erupted from the fiends; they did not plan on leaving a meal, it seemed. Two of them went at Tidus. One managed to bite onto his armguard while the other went for his leg; he quickly kicked the second away and then threw the first off. The blonde started throwing fists and kicking at the creatures to keep them at bay. But the boy lost his balance and stumbled backwards onto his behind, right beside Auron.

Just as another fiend lunged at them, the older of the two humans unsheathed the sword on his back and swung it fiercely, literally ripping the poor creature in half! He then lowered the blade to Tidus, who stared at it as if he were not sure what to do with it.

"Take it."

Tidus blinked in confusion, "Why?"

"It's a gift from Jecht."

The younger's eyes widened in surprise, "My old man?!" Auron merely nodded. Tidus gave the red and black sword a once over, not entirely sure whether he should take it or not. But given the circumstances…sighing, Tidus reached up and grabbed the hilt of the sword.

"I hope you know how to use it."

Using only one arm, Auron held onto the hilt as he lifted Tidus to his feet with very little effort. The boy was so stunned that when he let go, Tidus nearly lost his balance again. But he caught himself, and instead thrusted the sword when another fiend lunged at them.

It impaled the bug-like creature, killing it instantly. Blood poured from the open wound as Tidus shoved it aside.

Like all of the deceased, the fiend evaporated into a flurry of glowing lights, and vanished into thin air.

Tidus glanced at his companion, "What're you gonna use."

"This." The blonde watched as Auron reached for his back. His hand slipped inside the back of his coat, and slowly, the older male drew an extremely long katana out of his coat. It was black with a fiery orange design near the hilt; guessing from its size, it would require two hands to wield.

Auron then slipped his other arm out of the sleeve of his coat, allowing that side to fall limp at his side. This revealed a scaled bracer was on the other arm, so it wasn't completely bare at after all.

The older man hefted the blade onto his shoulder while Tidus dealt with the oncoming fiends, and then, with a mighty stroke of his blade, killed off several of the small fiends that scurried around them.

"Kill only the ones that matter!" Auron shouted as he took off running with Tidus at his side, "Leave the rest!"

"Right!" The pair began plowing right through the onslaught. They were lucky that not all of the eggs has hatched, so it made cutting through the rest so much easier. Fiends started dropping like flies before the mighty power of Auron and the seventeen-year-old Tidus. It was not long until they'd cut their way down the road and come upon the large fiend from earlier.

One of Tidus's eyebrows arched when he saw it. It really was quite tall, and it resembled a giant sword with several glowing blue veins. It was impaled in the ground, and a few fiend-eggs surrounded it. Tentacles whipped around in the air near its top. As if sensing their presence, several of the eggs hatched simultaneously. There weren't too many of them, but enough to consider both Auron and Tidus outnumbered.

_This doesn't look good! _"Let me handle this." Auron ordered as he stepped closer to the horde, a look of determination in his brown irises.

Slowly, the older man held his hand towards his forehead, his brow furrowed in concentration. The air around him started to crackle as if it were lighting on fire, causing Tidus recoil from the dark-haired man. In the next second, Auron hefted his blade high into the air, and then kicked off skywards. The flames around him quickly slid inside of his sword. Then he dropped to the ground so that his katana impaled the concrete before him. In unison with his sword touching down, the ground beneath all of the fiends erupted into a fiery explosion, killing over half of them and injuring the spear-shapped one.

Tidus whistled, impressed by the man's skills. Rather than soaking in the praise, Auron hefted his sword over his shoulder and prepared to attack the bigger fiend.

"Hold on," he stopped and looked at Tidus. The younger smirked, "You're not the only one with mad skills."

One eyebrow arched in curiosity, "Care to demonstrate?" It was more of an order than a request.

"Naturally." With that, Tidus called on the mana inside of his body. Mana was the energy inside of one's body. If one trains hard enough, they can learn to harness that energy. Throughout his life, Tidus had trained to harness that energy, and now he was about the show the fruits of his labors. Blueish electricity sparked around the younger male's body as he charged the attack.

Auron made quick work of the smaller fiends around it while Tidus was busy charging his attack. He could feel his muscles twitching as they were strengthened by the newly charged energy. Pain started to vibrate throughout his body, as it was not used to such a charge. He rarely ever used this attack, mostly because he never had to.

Taking deep breath, Tidus performed a cartwheel towards the tallest fiend. Once he was close enough, he switched to a front flip, held his sword up high, and delivered the fatal blow to the creature! Gold and blue electricity swirled around it as his blade sliced right through it armored body. Soon he hit the ground, the mana in his body returning normal.

The spasms in his muscles continued for a few more minutes; he heaved a deep breath as he waited for his body to return to normal.

Silvery lights whirled in the air as the giant fiend evaporated into nonexistence. "Hmph," the older man started walking passed his charge, "So you _have _been training."

"Yup," Tidus followed after him, a smile full of pride spread across his face. "Call it Swordplay," he asked, "what's yours?"

"Bushido. That was the style; the attack you just witnessed was the Dragon Fang," he turned a stern gaze on the boy, "If you plan on surviving, you better start learning new techniques, otherwise you'll die quickly."

Tidus scoffed, "What about you?" there was a pause, "Is that Dragon Whatever all 'ya got or are you hiding something up your sleeve?"

"Heh," Auron chuckled, "You'll see."

That didn't make much sense. Tidus thought to himself. He threw his sword over his shoulder in a similar manner as Auron, wearing a thoughtful expression, "Well, can you teach me Bushado?"

"Bush_ido_," Auron corrected, "And yes, only if you have the patience, that is."

"Why?"

"It takes a while to master."

Tidus fixed his teacher with a curious gaze, "How long did it take you?"

"Fifteen years." That seemed like a long time. For some reason, Tidus did not like the idea of spending that much time learning some random sword trick he might never use again.

Just as he was about to retort, Auron interrupted him, "Come on, we don't have much time." And so the conversation was over.

Getting the message, Tidus remained silent, and instead took off at a sprint with Auron at his side. The both of them hardly said a word as they ran along the concrete road, one intent on a certain destination while the other followed like a lost puppy. Where was Auron taking him anyway?

While they were running, Tidus realized which path they were on. It was the one he and Keiss used to get to the stadium. _Keiss. _The thought of her made his chest throb. Was it right of him to just leave her there? What could he have done to save her? At least he had a memento to remember her by; he patted the pocket on his pants. Still there. The blonde glanced up at the building they'd passed. Jecht's picture now flickered violently, but it was still clear who was in it.

The way it flickered made Tidus sick to his stomach. It was almost as if the man were laughing at his son's predicament. The bastard. _What're you laughing at, old man? _

"Tidus!" The blonde snapped to attention upon hearing his name. He looked forward, immediately seeing the problem.

Another swarm of eggs started hatching into fiends around them. The number had increased greatly, and it was not hard to figure out that they were in trouble.

"We were expected." The older man muttered behind his cowl.

A small handful of fiends rushed at them. Auron quickly swung his blade and sliced through a few of them while Tidus took care of the others. More fiends appeared in the frontlines. The two started cutting them down as they appeared, growing ever more frustrated with each new rain. It was never ending!

Tidus clutched the hilt of his sword angrily, "How many are there, damn it!?"

Auron glanced back and forth, searching for a way out of the situation. He noticed a fuel tank that was hanging on the side of the bridge precariously. Perfect! "Attack that fuel tank!"

"What?" Tidus was confused, "Why?"

"Knock it off!"

That did not serve to help, "Wouldn't the explosion kill us faster?"

"Just do it!"

"Alright, alright!" _Yeesh! _Auron took another swing at the foul beasts, slaying many of them of with just two swings of his sword. Meanwhile, Tidus ran towards the tank and started cutting at the barrels that were hanging off. If he broke the connection, the remaining ones would fall off, leaving only one on the bridge. When that happened, there would be a big explosion. That is why Tidus asked Auron what he was planning.

_Whatever works for him, I guess. _Yet Tidus preferred to live; but what else could he do in an emergency? After one final swing, the connection snapped, and the two tanks fell from the bridge and into the dephs of the city below.

"Get back!" No argument there. Tidus ran back to Auron's side, who was slowly stepped away from the edge.

The ground rumbled beneath them. Tidus' heart rate skyrocketed as the starving flames shot up from below and started engulfing the building to their right. Jecht's billboard fell forward, encouraging both Tidus and Auron to run back a few feet. It collided with the bridge and slowly started breaking through it.

"Go."

"Huh?" Tidus glanced at his mentor.

"Move!"

The command, for some reason, was all the encouragement Tidus needed. The boy secured the longsword in his belt, and then immediately jumped off of the bridge and started sprinting towards the other side. The fiends were dead now, and now the falling building was acting as a replacement for the lost bridge in the meantime.

Explosions went off around them. Tidus' held his breath as he ran for the other side. Auron made it passed him and leapt up to safety. He paused to look at Tidus, who was making his leap of faith as the building dropped lower.

Arms outstretched, Tidus' heart skipped a beat as he caught the ledge, a cry of surprising ripping through the air as he did.

Tidus struggled to hold on, his legs kicking below him as he grip started to slip. "Auron!" For some reason, the pull of gravity began to change, yet he still hung there.

Everything around Tidus was being pulled in. Hovering right above there heads was the bubble of water, which had slowly diminished to reveal a giant monstrosity. Its scales rippled like the ocean, and Tidus could just barely slowly a glowing wormhole of sorts leading inside of the beast. It didn't matter whether it was nailed down or not, inanimate or not; everything was being pulled towards it, including the bridge that Auron now stood on.

"Auron!" Tidus cried as he struggled to hang on.

The man in question was starring up at the glowing light. He nodded his head and muttered something, as if talking to the monster above. _Is he crazy!? _Looking back at Tidus, the older man reached down and gripped his overalls, easily lifting the boy up.

Tidus cried out as his body slowly lifted upward. It was as if he were floating rather than Auron holding him. In fact, he was. Opening his aqua orbs, Tidus found that he really was defying gravity and floating in midair! Only Auron's grip saved him from floating straight into the waiting monster. A look of fear crossed his features as their fate came to mind.

"This is it," Auron whispered to the younger male, his stern brown eyes meeting the younger's blue gaze, "Your story begins here."

"Auron!" the seventeen-year-old cried, "What're you…whoa-oh!"

His eyes widened in shock as Auron was sucked inside of the glowing wormhole. He then squinted his eyes to keep the light out of them, finding himself going blind due to it. A scream of horror tore from Tidus' throat as he was drawn into the light…


End file.
